Eidolon Concourse
by charcol
Summary: Something mysterious is plaguing Masako. Terrible things are happening to her body and neither Naru or anyone else of the SPR can guess what is happening to her. Despite this, Mai can't seem to get her mind off her handsome boss.
1. Chapter 1

EIDOLON CONCOURSE

Summary: Something mysterious is plaguing Masako. Terrible things are happening to her body and neither Naru or anyone else of the SPR can guess what is happening to her. Despite this, Mai can't seem to get her mind off her handsome boss.

--

ONE

A howling wind threw the windows open, allowing a set of delicate lace curtains to flutter wildly in the gust. The draft that seized the room at that moment caused its sleeping occupant to stir. She reached for a fine silken dressing gown that lay not too far away before leaving her husband's side to attend to the window. On a night as cold as this, every breeze that gusts past has the ability to give chills, however the gentlest of zephyrs were the worst, just touching the skin enough to make its presence known. After gently closing the offending window, the woman stood there for a moment, bathed in the moonlight as the room settled once again. The glass panes rattled slightly, but otherwise the room was still as she gazed at the night's scenery, not looking at the scenery itself. A moment later she turned, an automatic reaction to return to the warm bed, however before she could slide herself beneath the covers, something in her consciousness was compelling her to exit the room. It was nagging at the back of her mind and she was sure that if she didn't follow through now, she never would. After a moment's hesitation she eventually decided to give in. Having thought about it that much she wasn't sure she could sleep any more, being as curious as she was.

She ascended up the main timber staircase, lightly placing a hand over the varnished rail. The master bedroom was on the second storey, away from the cold, stone marble of the first floor. On the flight above this was only the attic. Quietly creaking open the door, dust that had accumulated over the years was disturbed. The woman pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, suppressing the urge to sneeze. Flicking on a light, her eyes gazed over the room, trying to find what she had come up here for, even though she wasn't quite sure what it was exactly. On her left was a large bookcase filled with volumes of accounting textbooks. A number of years ago she had become an accountant's secretary and studied in hopes of becoming one herself. Unfortunately, that had fallen through. Next to this were the things she collected from her job after accounting. She had become a child carer. Many of the children made her various gifts, all of them made with the children's love. Fondly recalling this memory she looked to her right, at the reason she had quit that job. A box she knew that contained her old wedding dress was placed on a wooden trestle table. Her husband was an interstate hotel manager and marrying him had required for her to move locations, leaving the children behind. Yes, she missed having the youngsters around, but she didn't regret marrying at all. Her husband respected her and he was always so polite.

But those weren't the things she was looking for. Deeper into the attic she explored, past boxes of papers and old clothes until she reached something that grasped her attention. It was an old chest that, no matter how hard she tried to recall, she couldn't remember where it was from, or what was inside it. Slowly and cautiously, she walked towards the mysterious box.

--

"Naru, I need your help!"

Mai's brow twitched. Famous television psychic, Hara Masako had phoned the office earlier and that was the first line she had said. The kimono clad medium had requested Mai's boss's help, but wouldn't come to the psychic research office in down town Shibuya. Instead, she asked Naru to come to where she was. Into her _home_. What irritated Mai was that Naru, as prudent as he was, had obliged.

The first thing that Mai had noticed, upon crossing the threshold into Masako's home with Naru and Lin, was how clean and orderly it was. The wooden floors were immaculately spotless and even the décor was tastefully plain. Traditional artwork was scattered throughout the European-built house, each adding their own unique touch of colour. Lin looked around at the wash of Japanese culture and went back to watching over Naru. The three of them were lead to Masako's room, which upon entering they found Masako sitting on her bed. A tidy desk was located in the far corner with a solid timber chair tucked in neatly. The only other furniture in the room was a low bedside table, complete with an olive shaded lamp and a unique, teal-coloured, decorative hair clip that sat beside it. Masako's eyes brightened slightly as she saw the company enter her room, but to Mai, it had seemed she was still visibly distressed.

"Hara-san," Naru addressed her.

"Naru, Lin-san, Mai, thank you for coming," she politely acknowledged, Naru's name lingering on her lips for a little longer than Mai would have preferred..

Naru got straight to the point. "Can you tell us what happened?"

She nodded, settling into the covers, then began. "I had woken up inside a forest. At first I thought it was a dream, but the colours were much too vivid. It was foggy and I can't remember much but I recall crossing a bridge. I don't know if I completely crossed it, but there was something nagging at my foot. It was tugging it slightly, but when I looked around, all the ground had vanished from beneath my feet. I felt as though I was falling. To which I woke up here, in my room."

Naru took this all in and nodded, prompting her to keep going.

"This is the reason I called you here."

Masako positioned herself so that her legs were dangling off the side of the bed and she leaned forward. Carefully, her slender fingers pulled at the fine cloth of her kimono, revealing what lay underneath the hem of the woven material. At first, Mai was surprised. Then she became shocked. Masako's left foot wasn't there. It wasn't tucked beneath her, or out of view. Where her leg ended, there was no foot. Mai gasped. An incredibly sad look came over Masako's features.

Naru looked at the strange absence before asking in entire seriousness, "Can you feel it there?"

Masako slowly shook her head, also looking at the reduced limb. Mai was unable to take her eyes from the foreign sight.

"May I?"

Naru moved closer to the limb, supporting her ankle with his left hand and passed his right hand through the area where her left foot should have been.

"Did you notice anything about this place? Was there anyone else there apart from yourself?"

Masako looked off to the side. A melancholic undertone laced her voice. "No, it was cold and I was alone."

As much as Mai originally disliked the disdainful girl, she couldn't help but sympathize with her. As easy as being a celebrity medium looked, her circumstances could have only made this situation more difficult to come to terms with.

Naru straightened before nodding at Masako.

"Then, I'll find out as much as I can. Until then, have Matsuzaki-san write some enchantments, in case this happens again."

Lin led the way out of her room with Naru following, but Mai hesitated as she turned to leave. Looking back, Mai saw the tears that were brimming on the edge of Masako's fair eyelids, threatening to spill. Mai couldn't ignore it. She turned around and started walking back to where Masako sat. Masako looked up at Mai wondering why she had stopped but before she realised, she was engulfed in a hug. Masako felt warmth around her and it was comforting. Her slight trembling subsided but the tears flowed fresh torrents, like clear water from a stream. She took long, deep breaths into Mai's shoulder until she calmed down enough to pull away.

"Please don't keep Naru waiting," Masako said shortly before looking away, hiding her tear stained face behind a silken kimono sleeve.

Mai just smiled at the back of Masako's head before running to catch up with Naru.

--

"Not an illusion," Naru muttered under his breath.

They had since returned to Shibuya and Naru sat in the consultation room with Lin, coffee table between them.

"What could have caused it?" Mai asked.

Her question was answered with silence, at which Mai silently fumed. She didn't appreciate being ignored.

"Lin, contact Yasuhara. We could probably use his help in investigating this one," Naru ordered.

Lin nodded and promptly walked over to retrieve a telephone. Mai took this moment as a chance to bring Naru a cup of tea.

"You're welcome," she sarcastically replied to his silence.

Naru flashed her a glare, to which she simply smiled sweetly. This made Naru roll his eyes. At this point Lin came back out.

"Yasuhara has agreed to help."

Naru nodded.

"Have you called Matsuzaki-san for those enchantments?"

"No, not yet. I'll do that now," Lin replied, retreating to his office once more.

Mai sighed, closing her eyes. She relaxed her grip on the tea tray, perhaps a bit too much as the pot ended up sliding off, falling onto the floor with a loud crash as the china shattered. Startled, Mai jumped backwards.

"Oh dear."

Behind her, Naru's lips twinged slightly. Mai bent down to pick up the broken china but Naru had already put his arm around her shoulders to refrain her.

"You'll cut your fingers."

Mai looked up to see Naru behind her. But by the time she had realised it, Naru had moved back to the coffee table. Mai was thankful though because at that moment a concerned monk wandered in through the door. If he had come a few seconds earlier, Mai would have been subject to several embarrassing questions.

"Poor Masako-chan's been targeted again?" the monk asked.

Mai looked at Naru, who seemed to be occupied with something, before replying.

"Somewhat."

--

_To be continued_

--

Thank you very much for reading to the end, and any feedback would be absolutely terrific.


	2. Chapter 2

EIDOLON CONCOURSE

Summary: Something mysterious is plaguing Masako. Terrible things are happening to her body and neither Naru or anyone else of the SPR can guess what is happening to her. Despite this, Mai can't seem to get her mind off her handsome boss.

--

TWO

Naru flipped through several files before tossing them on a constantly growing pile. He sighed. "Mai, tea."

Mai considered huffing, but decided this wasn't the best time. Naru and Lin had collectively brainstormed for several hours, producing nothing.

"Here you go," she simply said.

She placed the steaming cup before her boss and he took it up almost immediately.

"So it's not an illusion? Have you considered a spirit taking Masako away, but gradually?" asked a male voice.

Takigawa had come to the office upon hearing Masako's predicament from Ayako, who had been called to write enchantments for the girl. The part-time monk was currently sitting next to Lin on the couch opposite Naru.

"Would anyone else like drinks?" Mai asked the room in general.

"Coffee would be great thanks Mai," Takigawa replied as Lin politely shook his head.

"Not an illusion, and people generally aren't taken away in pieces," Naru stated.

"What if they aren't powerful enough to spirit away the entire person?" Takigawa retaliated.

Naru was quiet at this possibility. The silence fell upon the room like an unsettling dead weight, until Mai decided she wanted some fresh air.

"I'm going out for a moment. Does anyone want anything?"

"That coffee, Mai?"

"Oh, right, Bou-san. Sorry!"

She had almost forgotten about the monk's request and promised to buy coffee while she was out. After everyone else had declined, Mai exited the building, planning to go to a nearby café. However, on the way there she saw so many couples walking together that she decided to take a different route. It felt awkward to be walking alone while everyone else was paired up. Leaving the main street, she walked into a small arcade and while looking over the sale items she ran into a familiar face.

"John-san!"

"Mai, how are you? And aren't you meant to be working at the moment?"

"I came out for a bit of fresh air. How about you?"

"I just went out for lunch." John smiled at Mai pleasantly.

"Having a busy day at SPR?"

"Mm, a little." Mai nodded. "Something has happened to Masako this time."

John looked slightly concerned. "Is she alright?"

"Um, I'm not too sure."

"Can I be of any help?"

Mai smiled up at him. "Perhaps, if you're not busy at the moment, you can come drop by the office."

--

Something danced in the pale light. A pale green shapeless light flickered, tossing to and fro in the vast expanse of emptiness. It wasn't cold nor warm. It was not friendly nor was it hostile. It simply existed as space. The light pulsed slightly in a rhythm akin to the lapping waves on a seaside shore. The gentle ebb was subtle and calming, but served no real purpose. Only to exist.

--

It had been decided. Yasuhara managed to bypass any privacy laws and scrounge up all the sites which Masako had visited recently for her television programme, not that they couldn't get the information from Masako herself. It was just faster this way. The most current location was in the Saitama prefecture in a city called Kawagoe. Lin had booked them all into the ryokan where Masako had stayed and Naru had already begun interviewing the people she had encountered.

"Your name is Natsume, correct?"

"Yes," the girl replied.

"And Hara-san came here last month to help your sister pass on?"

"Yes," she said again.

"Would you be able to tell me what happened?"

"Yes."

Naru looked at Natsume from across the table and waited for her to begin.

"My sister and I, we were playing on the front lawn once when she got sick and her heart stopped. The doctor said it was from a pre-existing condition. Anyway, after this sis was still always around, even though she had died. Weird things would happen, stuff would move around the house and we'd hear funny noises. Mama got scared, so she called Miss Masako's agency, then a couple of months later she came with cameras and some other people. Miss Masako sat in the living room but then she collapsed and woke up again. When she woke up she started acting like my sister. Another guy started explaining to sis what had happened. She didn't know that she was dead, but eventually she moved on. That's all. Miss Masako and the cameramen left afterwards."

"Alright. Your sister was younger or older than you?"

"Older."

"She died three months ago?"

"Yes."

"You mentioned that initially, 'weird' things started happening. Can you describe them?"

Natsume's eyes looked upward as if we she were trying to see her eyelids.

"Well it was just ghosty-type things, you know? The kind you hear in stories. Windows rattled and it would get really cold on a warm night. There would be knocking on the door even when no one was there and small things would go missing, like sis' toys. Also, when it's quiet I could hear the grass grow."

Mai listened from the corner of the room where she stood with John and Yasuhara. Lin and Takigawa were in a different room, watching monitors as tapes recorded the conversation. Fair enough, what she described sounded ghost-like, but the last one struck her as a little odd.

Naru pressed on. "And after Hara-san helped your sister pass on, all of these things stopped.?"

Natsume hesitated. "Y... yes."

Naru raised an eyebrow.

"But, I still hear the grass. I don't think mama does though, because she doesn't mention it. But it's gotten really loud recently. Sometimes at night, it hurts my ears."

--

"Bou-san, are you ready?"

The monk was adorned in his Buddhist attire, preparing for his ritual.

"Of course I'm ready!" came his confident reply.

Naru, Mai, John and Lin watched the screens intently as the monk stood on the grass outside.

Beside Mai, Natsume cried.

"Mai-chan, he's hurting the grass. Beneath his feet, they're hurting!"

Mai rubbed the girl's back.

"It's okay Natsume-chan. It'll be over soon."

Takigawa began chanting.

_Naumakusanmandabazaradankan. Naumakusanmandabazaradankan._

"Naru!" Lin called.

It was midday, but the chanting monk's surroundings began to turn dark. An absence of light seeped in from every corner, like smoke, slowly contaminating his field of vision. The smoke wasn't cold, nor was it warm and it didn't affect Takigawa's breathing at all. Still he continued.

_Naumakusanmandabazaradankan. Naumakusanmandabazaradankan._

Soon he was surrounded. It wasn't black, the space seemed too empty to be black, but it could be better described as nothing. A neutrality. Takigawa calmly repeated the chant as something slightly out of his vision caught his eye.

"Did you see it?" Mai asked the room.

Naru took a breath in and leaned towards the monitor, ever so slightly.

"Mai-chan, it's getting louder!" the little girl beside Mai wailed, covering her ears with her hands.

The teenage girl knelt beside Natsume, holding her close.

Outside, girt by nothingness, Takigawa's eyes darted across his field of vision, following the shapeless green light that had appeared. It flickered and swept around the darkness, soundlessly. Nevertheless, Takigawa never once broke his chant. The eerie light cast its glow, coming close to his face, but it's speed was visibly reduced by the Buddhist monk's attempts. It's movement looked like that of a wild animal being restrained by invisible chains, and if the luminous entity was an animal, Takigawa would have been the hunter. In an instant, the part-time monk broke his hands apart and called nine words.

_Rin_

_Pyou_

_Tou_

It now inanimately suspended in space, tendrils escaping from it's body in puffs, looking like a gaseous, luminous Christmas decoration.

_Sha_

_Kai_

_Jin_

The light was now dissipating rapidly, swelling and contracting where it hung, each time steadily decreasing in mass.

_Retsu_

_Zai_

_Zen!_

By the time he uttered the last phrase, the light was no more and the darkness rapidly receded, as if expelled by the daytime. Takigawa's surroundings returned in broad daylight. Standing on the grass of the front lawn, he let out a weary sigh. Inside, Natsume collapsed in Mai's arms.

"The sound," she whispered. "The grass has stopped talking."

Naru walked over to his file.

"Really, this kind of thing should have been done when the spirit was initially channelled," he muttered.

Takigawa entered the room and smiled at its occupants, checking on Mai and Natsume especially.

"Hey, Naru-bou, what was that thing? I saw it, but I don't quite understand."

Naru looked over at the monk.

"Her memories. Natsume's sister was channelled my Masako so that her spirit could move on, but her memories remained. That was what you saw. I'm not sure myself what caused Natsume to be able to hear the grass, but the last memory that her sister would have had is of them playing on the lawn. Am I correct?"

Natsume looked up at Naru and nodded. He was about return to his files when they were interrupted by the shrill ring of a phone. Not skipping a beat, Lin answered. Ayako's voice could be heard urgently speaking into the other end of the line.

"Alright, tell her that we're coming," Lin calmly replied, before hanging up.

"That was Ayako," he said, a tad unnecessarily.

Naru gave him an inquisitive look.

"It's Masako," he explained. "Something else has happened to her."

--

_To be continued_

--

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Remember, constructive criticism is always welcomed. Much love goes to the kind people who reviewed the first chapter. This is for you. Also, thanks to Onnie for being a great editor and master of rewording.


	3. Chapter 3

EIDOLON CONCOURSE

Summary: Something mysterious is plaguing Masako. Terrible things are happening to her body and neither Naru or anyone else of the SPR can guess what is happening to her. Despite this, Mai can't seem to get her mind off her handsome boss.

--

THREE

The water teased the shore constantly. First it would rise, making the shore think it would come in, only to recede again, merging into the ocean depths, leaving the rocks and sand wet and cold. White foam bubbled and frothed at the coming of each wave and with it, a gush that sounded strangely like the pulse of blood through the human ear. Both sounds had the same distinct characteristic in that they both carried the connotation of a flowing cycle, however just like beyond the ear's blood flow lay a heart that empowered it, beyond the ocean's shallow shore a powerful current lies deep beneath the sea. It writhes and thrashes below, creating a huge ruckus, but by the time its affects reach the land it's power has diminished, leaving the gentle lapping and pure white froth.

--

Masako was hunched over in her bed when Naru, Mai, Lin, Takigawa and John entered the room. Ayako sat beside her, on a small stool that had since been placed near the bed. The rest of the room remained untouched since last time, right down to the teal clip on the side table. Upon hearing her door open, Masako immediately hid her face behind a sleeve, but she wasn't fast enough to prevent Mai seeing the tears that stained it. She tossed herself over, facing away from the entrance and clutched her knees rapidly.

"Masako," Mai whispered.

Naru looked over at Mai. She was far more suited to this, he thought.

Ever since Naru was younger he wasn't very good around people and that's why he usually left comforting to others. He didn't see it as, nor was it a bad thing. It was just the way he was raised. As a child, Naru rarely interacted with people of his age. People who knew this often pitied him and asked his parents why they didn't let him play with other children, but even knowing this, Naru didn't mind. If he wasn't inclined to socialise, then he wasn't missing out on anything. He could have thought that other children were missing out, not having access to the research papers or learning resources that he did, but they didn't seem to mind, so why should he mind not having something of which he never knew? Nevertheless, it wasn't as if he was completely shut off to human interaction. His tutors, however much older, taught him many valuable things over the years as well as the books he read, which sharpened his mind, as well as his wit.

Mai was very different to Naru, as any bat in a soundproofed room could tell. People trusted and opened up to her. Her presence itself was comforting and she was good at empathising with others, especially their victimed clientèle. That was Naru's justification for letting Mai talk to Masako at that moment. Mai took that initiative and carefully walked towards the bed.

"Masako? What's the matter?" she asked.

Black strands of hair stuck to Masako's blotched face and she squirmed around uncomfortably. Nevertheless, she answered with a rapid shake of the head.

"Masako," Mai repeated as she lowered herself next to Masako. Mai placed her hand on the girl's back and rubbed it gently.

"Is it pain?" she asked.

Masako squirmed a little, but didn't try avoid Mai's touch on her back. After a few moments she nodded.

"Is a spirit in pain?"

She quickly shook her head and Mai realised she must have been quite wrong.

"You're in... physical pain?"

Masako nodded, more slowly this time as she clutched her knees tighter to her chest; a motion that Naru didn't miss.

"Your lower legs?" He asked.

Masako blinked slowly several times until she gained the confidence to control her voice.

"My ankles hurt so much," she whispered, unable to suppress her voice quavering on the last syllable.

Mai gingerly pulled back the cloth that covered her ankles. Alas, no mark was to be seen. They looked just like they had the other day.

"Are there any other symptoms?" Naru asked.

"Not that I can tell," she replied softly.

"In that case, I'll have Lin prepare some medicine that should cause the pain to temporarily subside. You'll be contacted when we discover the cause. If any other symptoms start showing then call the office."

Naru then exited the room, Lin trailing behind him. Mai gave Masako a reassuring smile before following them out.

--

Mai stared at her desk the next morning. She had been sitting in a daze for more time than she could keep track of, idle thoughts being tossed here and there, drifting from one topic to another. The sun's warm rays floated in through the curtains, lighting the desk as well as fine particles of dust travelling through the room. Mai's cold fingertips took a liking to the warmth the sunbeams provided and her eyelids hung dangerously more than once. Luckily for her, the slamming door that woke her from this stupor wasn't from her narcissistic boss, but none other than Yasuhara, and with him he brought the locations to be scouted out next. He had to leave soon, since he was only on a lunch break from college, but Naru came out from his office upon hearing Yasuhara enter. As it turned out, the area Masako visited before Kawagoe was a small village on the eastern coast of Japan. Researching its history, Naru discovered that it was a poor village existing in the late Edo period, where the main source of income was through fishing. However, as the catch was dwindling each passing month, as well as the 40 of their income that they were forced to give up for tax, residents were forced to flee to larger towns. The ones that remained had to sell their stock before they had caught it. The village was almost nothing as Bakumatsu and the shogunate came to an end. Still, at the start of the Meiji restoration, a spark of life was breathed into the town as a wealthy foreigner moved there. A middle-aged nobleman, Anton Versailles came to Japan searching for new trade and organised a house to be built in the seaside village. Sure enough, as the years rolled by the size of the catch became larger and soon the fishermen found their nets full once again. Trade increased in the village over the next couple of decades until it died down again. The village had been there since, with Versailles' house restored to a rather handsome mansion.

But history wasn't the only thing that Naru discovered about this village. In a forgotten textbook of old Japanese folklore there was the story of a seaside village. Normally, this could have been anywhere in Japan, but for the fact that it was a small dying place until a foreigner came bearing good fortune. The people of the village were blessed with large harvests of fish and presented the foreigner with gifts until he died in his old age about twenty years later. Afterwards, the fishermen's children told their children stories of the spirit that became man to bring them good fortune. The name of the village or foreigner wasn't noted, but Naru could make an educated guess as to who it was.

Naru looked up from Yasuhara's stack of papers. "That's where we're going next," he announced.

--

Later that day, Lin called upon Mai.

"Taniyama-san?" he asked. "I'm a little busy this afternoon. Would you please collect these supplies? Here's the address. Tell the storekeeper to put it on my account," he said, handing a piece of paper to Mai.

Of course Mai complied, eager for the opportunity to get some fresh air. Several minutes later a fresh breeze whipped around her face as she skipped down the stairs, two at a time. If she walked quickly enough then she would make it to the train station in time to catch the next train west, and sure enough just as she ascended the stairs to the concrete platform, it pulled into the station, causing Mai's hair to rustle. After skipping over the gap between platform and the train she found a place to stand near the doors. According to the map she didn't have far to travel so she leaned against the side of the metal carriage and gazed out the window, watching scenery fly by. It was a nice day. The air was cool but the sky was a clear blue. Several wispy clouds decorated the skyline and below that, tall corporate buildings and stores lined the streets with customers walking in and out at their leisure. Soon enough, Mai's station was announced and she departed the train with ease, being so close to the door. After she left the station she pulled out the slip of paper that Lin had given her and oriented herself.

'It should be easy enough,' she thought, looking at the two blocks she had to walk.

But it was easier said than done. Mai circled the block several times, passing by many side stores and circling the neighbouring blocks until she noticed a side alley that she completely overlooked before. The entrance was small, overshadowed by much brighter storefronts and wasn't well lit. The mortar between its bricks was crumbling and it seemed as though this alley was being used by neighbouring shops as a place to store their empty crates. Still, Mai noticed at the end of the alley a faded sign facing towards the street. It hung outside a door in the brick wall and as Mai approched, she noticed heavy velvet curtains hanging inside this store's windows. Mai tried to discern the characters that were written in a faded gold on the sign, and they seemed to match Lin's writing on the paper, so she decided to go in. The musty air was a fragrant mixture of every variety of dried tea leaf with a subtle scent of fresh flowers. Mai decided that she quite liked the way this place smelt. Woven cane drawers filled with exotic ingredients lined most of the walls, and in one corner of the room sat a thick oak coffee table. At the room's rear was an exit shrouded with more velvet curtain. Behind this curtain Mai could hear rapid speaking in an accent that she recognised as Chinese, and it increasingly got louder until an old lady walked out from between the curtains. She definitely looked Chinese. Crows feet at the corners of her eyes proved the many years she had seen, as well as the white hair twisted into a bun behind her head. Her eyes instantly locked with Mai's.

"What brings you here?" she asked.

Mai hestitated a moment before remembering the list. "I have some things to collect," she replied.

The old woman gazed over the list thoughtfully, looking back up at Mai occasionally. Mai was almost wondering if she came to the right place before the woman spoke again.

"Very well. Chyou!" she called.

A young girl, around the same age as Mai, walked out from the back of the store. Her long black hair was held up with silver adornments. She had a very pretty, round face and wore traditional Chinese clothing.

"Grandmother?" she queried.

The old woman held out the list and said something in another language before her granddaughter named Chyou took it and walked out back, presumably in search of the items. Several moments passed and Mai began to feel awkward. Looking around her, she spotted the coffee table and sat down. However, she could still feel the gaze of the old woman on the back of her head. Mai looked at her knees. There were no magazines or reading material at the table so all she could think of doing was to look around. The woman approached her from behind and sat opposite Mai at the coffee table.

"Those ingredients aren't for you," she stated.

Mai looked up at her. "Uh, no," she confirmed.

"Who then?"

"My boss' assistant, Koujou Lin. He said to put it on his account."

The woman looked at Mai closely. "Ko...Koujou Lin?" All of a sudden, her gaze upon Mai softened a little. "I see, dear."

Mai didn't understand the significance of Lin's name, but all the same, she felt more comfortable now that the woman wasn't staring her down.

"Those aren't for your typical painkiller," she crowed, standing up again, because her granddaughter had just returned to the room with a woven tray of various herbs in small paper bags.

Mai didn't know how she felt about the way the woman said that. It wasn't a warning, or dark in any way. On the contrary, it seemed to amuse her, but she could have just had a twisted sense of humour. There was no way Mai could really tell. She decided to ask Lin later and took the bag.

"Thank you for coming, dear," Mai heard behind her as she left the shop.

--

_To be continued_

--

You may or may not have noticed that I've changed the name of this story. This one seems more appropriate, I think. Anywho, thank you very much for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 4

EIDOLON CONCOURSE

Summary: Something mysterious is plaguing Masako. Terrible things are happening to her body and neither Naru or anyone else of the SPR can guess what is happening to her. Despite this, Mai can't seem to get her mind off her handsome boss.

--

FOUR

"It's so huge!"

Mai stared up at the mansion that was Versailles' old, restored home. The mayor of the town had kindly let the SPR reside there temporarily upon hearing that Masako was in trouble.

"Greetings," he had said as Naru and Lin exited the black van.

The mayor then turned to Lin, who had walked around from the other side of the vehicle. "You must be Kazuya Shibuya. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kouichiro Nakamura, and I am the mayor of this village. It's such an honour to first have Hara Masako, then your company come to our humble town."

Takigawa held back an indiscreet snigger. A smile played at Ayako's lips as the rest of the SPR's attention turned to Naru to see how he would react.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken," Naru pointedly remarked. "It is our honour to be here."

The mayor's fallen face quickly perked up again. "Certainly! But not to waste time, shall I show you inside?"

--

Admittedly, Mai was disappointed. Takigawa reasoned later that Naru had to be polite because, after all, the mayor was allowing them free accommodation and access to all facilities. It wouldn't have been in their favour to anger the most influential man in the village. Later on, Naru carefully corrected Nakamura's assumption as they settled in. As this happened, Mai could have sworn she saw Nakamura's face darken slightly, however she shrugged it off. Anyone would be slightly shocked at the prospect of such a young company president.

After setting up she final camera Mai poked around the mansion a little. As far as mansions go, it wasn't very exciting. The corridors were spacious and wide, most of the rooms were disused and dusty, and several pieces of antique fishing equipment from the village's early days decorated various walls. No hidden trap doors or oddly aligned rooms. Mai supposed that it was a good thing. Sighing, she decided to take a look outside.

The SPR van was gone from the outer driveway now. From their proximity to the ocean, the air smelt salty and fresh, and beyond the whitewashed picket fence that enclosed the grounds, Mai could hear children's voices rising. Curious, she decided to take a look. With a fresh breath of air she ran across the driveway, white gravel crunching beneath her feet, and outside the gate were the children. There were two boys and one girl, and the little girl was carrying a bunch of bright yellow flowers. "Hello," Mai smiled at them.

"Hi Miss!" they chorused.

"Where are you going?" Mai asked.

"We're going to take these flowers to our friend," said the small girl. "She's on the cliff near here."

Mai looked quizzical. When driving past, certainly she saw the cliff, but didn't recall any houses upon it.

"Would you like to come along?" they invited.

Mai smiled back, "Okay!"

As they were walking, the girl with the flowers told Mai about their friend.

"Her dad and her grandpa are really, really old. They've been here longer than my gran'papa or anyone else's."

"Her family must have been here for a very long time then," Mai replied. "It's very nice of you to bring her flowers."

The girl looked down at the bunch of daffodils, then past that to her feet. "We always come to bring her flowers."

Mai wanted to smile at the girl, but something in her expression as she looked at her feet was saddening. Soon the outline of the sheer cliff loomed ahead, but as much as Mai strained her eyes, she couldn't spot a house anywhere nearby, let alone on the cliff itself, hence why she was even more confused as they started climbing upwards towards the edge, where rock met the sea below. The top of the cliff was grassy and green, a lovely place to relax with a nice sea breeze and warm sun, and in the middle of the greenery, a wooden cross poked up from the ground, its base surrounded by slightly wilted, yellow flowers. Mai gasped. The children's friend hadn't lived here, but she had died here.

Carefully the three children laid the fresh daffodils down, replacing the old ones. One of the boys turned to Mai, "Delia was playing too close to the edge of the cliff." Instinctively, he took a step back inland. "The rocks down there are dangerous, so we're not allowed to come here any more, except to give Delia flowers."

'Could she be,' Mai wondered. 'Could she be the one that Masako helped move on?'

Beneath them rose the sound of crashing waves upon the jagged, razor-like rocks.

--

As Mai returned she noticed that the SPR van was back on the driveway. Inside the main living area Takigawa, Ayako and John were gathered around the seated Naru. He looked up at Mai sharply as she walked in.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

What was Mai to say? She huffed silently while thinking of a good excuse when footsteps approached from behind.

"She was helping me collect the extra equipment," Lin coolly explained as he entered. "What would you like done with it?" he asked.

"Nothing for the moment," Naru replied, attention off Mai for now.

Mai looked up at Lin in surprise. He had just covered for her, but he didn't return her gaze once, or make a single gesture to betray his distraction.

Naru continued, "The monitors have recorded underwater tremors from the east so tomorrow we're going to be diving in order to detect the possible source. They don't match up with the village's seismic history."

"Diving?" Ayako's eyes sparkled. "It's almost like a holiday!"

"Matsuzaki-san–," Naru began, but before he could go any further, Ayako interrupted.

"I know, I know. Concentrate on the task. Don't worry about that, we're pros after all." And with that she almost skipped back to her room.

"She sure is lively," John commented.

"Don't worry, Naru," Mai chirped. "She's just excited. I don't think she'd have ever been diving before, is all."

Sighing, Naru rose, gave some papers to Mai for sorting, and exited the room.

--

That night, Mai slept soundly in her bed. The window was left open for the ocean-scented breeze to waft in and it was a comfortable night. She tossed over once more. Soft footfalls echoed outside her room. Someone's clothes ruffled outside her door as they hesitated. Almost awake now, Mai eyed the brass doorknob as it slowly rotated. The wooden door soundlessly swung inwards, very slowly, cautiously. A foreign man crept in, sporting clothes more suited to 19th century Europe than anywhere else. He wasn't very old, but not too young either and looked like he could be a charismatic person at any other time of the day. Right now he started into Mai's eyes, wide awake and alert, freezing for a heartbeat. Mai was scared. He lunged at the bed where she sat as Mai grabbed for the pale blue sheets. He carried her easily, stifling her yells with a hand that clamped her mouth shut. He broke into a run as they reached the corridor. Mai was panicking. Flailing and struggling as much as she could did nothing to deter the man. Out the front door he continued running, regardless of the sea breeze that stung his face. Mai started sobbing into his shoulder in fear, and shivered against the cold of the night.

He started to slow his pace now, perhaps because they were approaching their destination, which Mai happened to recognise. The cliff was less pleasant in the day as it was in the night. Moonlight reflected off the grass, giving it an unhealthy-looking colour and Delia's memorial cross was nowhere to be seen. He set Mai down, keeping an iron grip on her wrist so she couldn't run away. Mai looked over the man once again. He was different to how she remembered in the bedroom. He looked younger than she had thought and his clothes weren't all that unusual. He was mostly Japanese for sure, and strikingly resembled the town mayor, although this man was too young to be the middle-aged owner of the mansion. He grabbed Mai roughly beneath her shoulders and led her to the looming cliff's edge.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

Mai was too petrified to respond. The drop to the sea below was a dizzying height.

"You should be honoured," he cooed softly into her ear. "By your sacrifice, the seas will fill once again. The villagers will be able to eat. Don't you want to bring a good harvest to your family?"

Something twinged in the back of Mai's mind. 'Family?'

"Your silence is admirable, or are you just scared? Not to worry, it will all be over soon."

A particularly large wave thrashed the face of the cliff.

"Now, go!"

With a rough shove he toppled her over the edge. Mai couldn't think. The foamy sea was approaching so fast. She couldn't shut her eyes. 'Naru, help!'

Pressure enveloped her from all sides as water surrounded her body. The impact caused a dull pain along the length of her body, which Mai was sure would hurt a lot more later, if only that wasn't the least of her worries. Looking upwards she saw waves churning overhead. The light of the moon was dull beneath the icy water and all Mai could do was remain still and tolerate it. Her joints ached while her skin froze and a searing pain spawned in her chest, her lungs which protested so much for air. Around her, hard rock formed an impenetrable wall. It was by sheer incredible luck that Mai wasn't impaled by them.

'Luck,' Mai thought. 'A brief moment of pain for an almost instant death, or to remain under here as my lungs burn, to eventually die of asphyxiation. Right, luck.'

As if in response one of the boulders beside her groaned under the pressure of a violent wave. From above, part of the boulder became dislodged, falling to where Mai was suspended. A dull crack resounded though the water as it snapped the bone in her lower leg and pinned her to the seabed. The burning in her lungs made her chest feel so tight, but as much as she wanted to, in all her searing pain, she couldn't take one breath. Not one gasp of air. Her surroundings darkened as Mai began to black out, a migraine developing in her mind.

--

Mai gasped, as she sat erect in bed, grasping at the pale blue sheets around her. A cold sweat had broken around her forehead and intermingled with the ocean breeze, drifting in through the window. Mai gulped down the air, stinging her throat a little, only to realise the she was in her room, in the mansion. As well as fresh air, the horizon hinted at the oncoming of sunlight. It was probably around five in the morning, Mai estimated. She shivered while climbing out from under the warm sheets. Wiping her brow on the back of her sleeve, she stumbled to her suitcase in order to get changed. Sleep wouldn't have been possible after that. Today the SPR was going to dive. Mai shuddered involuntarily as she thought about having to go below into those murky depths once again.

--

_To be continued_

--

A little bit more action with a little more to come. Hopefully you enjoyed it. Thanks for keeping track! Also, next Friday the 22nd of August is Daffodil day so please support the cancer council as they raise money for research. It's also a day to celebrate the spirit of cancer survivors.


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